Pulmonary atresia that occurs when the pulmonary valve forms incorrectly. The pulmonary valve is the opening on the right side of the heart that controls blood flow from the right ventricle to the lungs. In babies born with pulmonary atresia, a sheet of tissue obstructs this opening, and blood cannot flow from the ride side of the heart to the lungs to be oxygenated. The blood is able to get to the lungs via a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus, but this vessel normally closes soon after birth. Pulmonary valve stenosis is a similar condition. This is when the valve is narrowed so that blood flow through it is extremely limited.
Causes
Anti-depressants: Maternal use of certain anti-depressants during pregnancy can quadruple a baby’s likelihood of being born with a RVOTO, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The anti-depressants linked to this and other birth defects may include:
Researchers are investigating Effexor, a similar anti-depressant for a possible link to an increased risk of pulmonary atresia.
Painkillers: Studies are showing the use of opioid painkillers just before or during pregnancy to increase the likelihood of the baby developing heart defects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study that linked the development of congenital heart defects. This also included a 70 percent increased risk of pulmonary valve stenosis to prenatal exposure to opioid painkillers including:
- Hydrocodone
- Codeine
- Oxycodone
CDC Study
In 2015, the Center for Disease Control published a study confirming the link between SSRI use and birth defects.
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Treatment
Treatment varies widely due to the array of defects that fall into the category of RVOTO.
For pulmonary atresia or stenosis, the baby is usually administered a medication called prostaglandin E1 to help the blood move into the lungs. This medicine keeps the ductus arteriosus open so that blood can flow to the lung and be oxygenated. However, doctors must perform other procedures for a long-term solution, ranging from a minor heart catheterization to open heart surgery to repair or replace the valve. Furthermore, in the more serious circumstances, surgeons may reconstruct the heart as a single ventricle, or doctors could recommend a heart transplant for the baby.
Your Baby’s Rights
If your baby was born with a right ventricular outflow tract obstruction that may have been caused by exposure to prescription medications before birth, your family deserves financial compensation. Although no amount of money will change what happened to your baby, compensation will help offset the current and future medical costs, as well as provide for the pain and suffering you and your baby have experienced.
Furthermore, it is your right for pharmaceutical companies to inform you about the long-term risks associated with medications, and it is the responsibility of drug companies to provide this information. If you or a loved one has suffered any side effects from Essure, you should demand accountability from Pfizer. Why did no one tell you?
Filing a claim will also teach the manufacturers of unsafe medications that it is unacceptable to not warn parents of the risks associated with these drugs, including serious birth defects. Your suit may even prevent other families from suffering as yours has, by forcing the pharmaceutical company to change their drug’s label to warn parents of the potential risks.
We want to help send a message that this is not acceptable. We are advocates for families who have been harmed by dangerous products, and likewise, we have the experience necessary to successfully litigate these cases.
Contact the Michael Brady Lynch Firm today for a free consultation to learn more about seeking justice. Compensation may be available for any medical expenses associated with this ordeal, as well as for your physical and emotional suffering. There is no obligation.
How We Can Help
When you experience side effects from a dangerous drug, it can have devastating effects on your entire life. You may be entitled to compensation for their injuries and damages. The types of losses we can help you recover include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of an ability to work; and
- Pain and suffering
If a person dies from complications from a drug, family members may be able to recover damages for the wrongful death of their loved one, including:
- Funeral expenses
- Medical expenses prior to death
- Loss of economic support; and
- Loss of companionship
If the conduct of a company is found to be highly reckless, punitive damages may be awarded to punish the company and deter similar conduct in the future. If your baby has RVOTO, please speak to us to learn more about your rights.
The Michael Brady Lynch Firm is currently accepting cases in all 50 state. Please use the form on this page or call toll-free 24 hours a day at 877-513-9517.
